Amazon's voice assistant can now manage people's sensitive health information, which represents an important step for the company into the $3.5 trillion health care sector.
Voice technology has been heralded as a major breakthrough for the health field, particularly for seniors, kids and those with mobility problems. As a result, Amazon, and its rival Alphabet, have been increasingly focused on the needs of these populations, who view voice assistant devices as an important way to manage their medications, communicate with loved ones, and alert emergency services.
Since it introduced Alexa, Amazon has seen an uptick in interest in its voice assistant technology from the health sector. Another company selected for the program is Livongo, a digital health start-up that works with employers to help them manage workers with chronic medical conditions. The company developed a skill for people with diabetes that use connected glucometers to ask about their blood sugar levels. A user might say something like,"Alexa, ask Livongo what my my blood glucose reading was from this morning" to get a quick response.
Over time the medical incentive of the patient will be drowned out by commercial incentive of local medical professionals. Left unregulated AI of alexa, siri, and search engines will all become advertising platforms